GMO wheat discovery stokes trade fears

News that unapproved genetically modified wheat was found on a farm in Oregon has spread fast, and it's already having global trade consequences.

There is no GMO wheat approved for commercial use in the United States. No one's really sure how this GMO wheat got to that field. USDA officials traced the wheat to an experimental strain owned by Monsanto, but abandoned eight years ago.

Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba said in a statement that the discovery is "a very serious development that could have major trade ramifications." The state exports about 90 percent of its wheat.

"I am concerned that a highly regulated plant material such as genetically modified wheat somehow was able to escape into a crop field," she said.